{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"From Firefighter to Fire Chief \u2013 The Tom DeSorcy Story - 397","description":"In this episode, Dr. Gasaway talks with Retired Fire Chief Tom DeSorcy about how he quickly went from being a volunteer firefighter to career fire chief.   Tom DeSorcy joined the fire service in 1983 and became the first paid firefighter in his hometown of Hope, B.C., when he became fire chief in 2000.  This followed a career in broadcasting in local radio and his talk show eventually was heard across Canada, via satellite from Vancouver in the early \u201890s.  Now retired, his voice can be heard on the Firefighting in Canada - The Podcast and he lends his voice in narrating online training.   Tom is married with 2 children, and 2 grandchildren.  He is equally at home at a bonspiel (which for us lay people, is a curling tournament), on the golf course or in the kitchen, and he continues to enjoy his connections to the fire service.   Tom\u2019s story may be unique as he quickly went from serving as a volunteer fire fighter to becoming the fire chief almost.  The town of Hope was surrounded by two regional district electoral areas and each had their own fire department.  When all of these areas were amalgamated into a District Municipality, 3 fire departments existed.    It became apparent that a single fire department needed to be created and thus a contract fire chief position was offered which Tom accepted the position.  Originally this was supposed to be a 10 month contract however, Tom realized that it could be extended to a permanent position and began to seek out training opportunities to \u201cput himself in a position to accept a job should it be offered\u201d.  That was in 1999.  In 2000 the contract ran out and a permanent position was not being considered.  This is when the existing volunteer chiefs put their pagers on the council table in a mass protest resignation until Tom was hired.   Tom then set out on the journey to create a \u201cmodern\u201d fire department from the current social club that existed, all the while battling resistance to change not only from within, but from the community.  This was a struggle to say the least.   It was through various associations and the networking it brought to connect Tom the outside world of firefighting.  He adopted a \u201cMoss and Grass\u201d approach to leadership where he supported positive growth and ignored naysayers that stood in his way.     Today, he\u2019s come full circle in creating a succession plan where they now have a Fire Chief and Deputy in a progressive and busy department of professional volunteers.  During this episode we discuss:   The unique demographic of the community of Hope, British Columbia and the challenges it creates for the fire department.   How Tom became the fire chief when the three existing fire chiefs in the community all resigned.    Tom\u2019s thoughts on the generational changes he\u2019s observed since joining the fire service in 1983.   Tom\u2019s application of his unique \u201cMoss and Grass\u201d leadership.   The role fire associations played in Tom\u2019s personal development journey.   How Tom planned for succession and preparation for retirement. Tom\u2019s advice for firefighters preparing for retirement.     About the Host Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, CSP is widely considered a trusted authority on human factors, situational awareness and the high-risk decision making processes used in high-stress, high consequence work environments. He served 33 years on the front lines as a firefighter, EMT-Paramedic, company officer, training officer, fire chief and emergency incident commander.  His doctoral research included the study of cognitive neuroscience to understand how human factors flaw situational awareness and impact high-risk decision making.   Contact us www.SAMatters.comwww.RichGasaway.com612-548-4424 (office)   Let\u2019s Get connected Facebook: SAMatters LinkedIn: Rich Gasaway LinkedIn: Situational Awareness Matters Twitter: Rich Gasaway Youtube: SAMattersTV itunes: SAMatters Radio Stitcher Radio: SAMatters Radio Google Play: SAMatters Radio iHeart Radio: SAMatters Radio   Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System http:\/\/www.firefighternearmiss.com\/   The SAMatters Show is one of the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us at SAMatters.com.   ","author_name":"SAMatters Radio","author_url":"http:\/\/SAMatters.libsyn.com","html":"